Skin protective pads are used for a variety of different applications. Prevalent among these applications are pads for use under saddles to provide a cushion between the saddle and the horse and to prevent or minimize chafing and saddle sores. This is accomplished by making the pad out of a material which absorbs the perspiration from the back of the horse and, at the same time, provides sufficient thickness to cushion the horse from the effects of the movement of the saddle. The cushioning effect also is desirable to increase the comfort to both the rider and the horse by dampening the shock effects produced by opposing motion between the rider in the saddle and the movement of the horse.
Saddle pads also ideally are made of a material which does not irritate the horse and also typically are constructed to provide as much ventilation or air passage as possible to allow normal perspiration and to permit access of cooling air to the hide or skin of the horse beneath the saddle.
In its simpliest form, a very effective saddle pad is a piece of sheep skin which is placed on the back of the horse with the wool side facing the horse and the skin side located directly underneath the saddle. Sheep skin pads, however, do not entirely isolate the saddle from the moisture or perspiration; so that the underside of the saddle may become damp and thereby is subject to damage caused by such dampness. Sheep skin also is relatively expensive and tends to matt as a result of the large amounts of moisture and pressure applied to it over a period of time of use.
Simple wool blankets also are widely used as saddle pads. Wool pads, however, are subject to many of the disadvantages of sheep skin and in fact do not provide as good air circulation as is achieved with sheep skin pads. Wool saddle blankets or pads also are not especially effective at preventing saddle sores or chafing, particularly for horses which are ridden over relatively long periods of time in strenuous workouts.
Four saddle pads which are directed to overcoming the disadvantages of sheep skin and wool saddle pads mentioned above, and in which an attempt is made to maximize the comfort to both horse and rider while providing removal of perspiration from the back of the horse, are disclosed in the patents to McClain U.S. Pat. No. 604,567; Tauber U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,188; Stoner U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,852; and Deal U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,136. The McClain patent discloses a harness pad or saddle pad having a smooth outer layer of material which is placed against the hide of the horse. A similar type of material is placed on the side adjacent the saddle. Between these two layers, the inside of the pad is separated into two parts by a waterproof diaphragm. The chamber or area which is on the horse side of the pad is filled with an absorbent filling, such as sponge, to hold perspiration passing into this chamber through the outer layer from the back of the horse. The chamber on the upper side beneath the saddle is filled with a relatively inexpensive pad material. Water storage and energy dissipation takes place by means of the sponge in the water absorption chamber. Because a smooth material is placed against the hide of the horse, however, chafing and saddle sores may result; and there is nothing to prevent the passage of moisture from the storage sponge chamber back through the outer layer to the back of the horse.
The patent to Tauber is simply a foam rubber or a sponge rubber pad which has a sheet rubber backing on the saddle side to prevent moisture from going through the pad onto the saddle. The pad itself is intended to soak up moisture from the back of the horse, and a number of ventilating openings are provided through the pad. Movement of the saddle relative to the horse is intended to create a pumping action on the pad to insure a constant circulation of air through the pad in and out of the ventilating openings. Foam rubber, however, is relatively hot. Consequently, increased perspiration under the saddle when a pad of this type is used is likely to occur. Even though there are ventilation openings provided in the foam rubber, the overall effect is such that the air movement or breathing action is not as good as is obtained with natural sheep skin pads.
The Stoner patent is directed to a disposable horse blanket having outer and inner water absorbent paper layers separated by a plastic water barrier layer. This protects the underside of the saddle from the perspiration of the horse. The pad itself, however, is relatively thin and is not particularly effective in removing moisture from the back of the horse, nor is the horse blanket of Stoner very effective in providing air circulation over the back of the horse under the saddle.
The Deal patent is directed to a saddle pad which is made of a synthetic pile fabric extending from a thin plastic backing material. The pad then is folded over on itself to provide a layer of the synthetic pile fabric on the side which contacts the saddle as well as the side which is placed against the back of the horse. Some versions of the pad of this patent employ a foam rubber center between the upper and lower plastic backing layers. The plastic backing layer is water impervious, so that no moisture absorption takes place in the foam center. As a result, since the pile fiber is also non-moisture absorptive, the only water removal is effected by air circulation between the pad and the hide of the horse through the pile fiber.
Multiple layer protective pads also are used fairly extensively for long term bed-ridden patients or invalids in hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, multiple layer pads are provided for backpackers, wheelchair seats, and the like. The purpose in all of these is to provide a cushioning effect, to minimize chafing and pressure points (which produce bed sores in bed-ridden patients) and to remove moisture away from the skin of the patient or user of the pad. A pad of this general type used for backpackers is disclosed in the patent to Berry U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,726. This pad is a two-part pad constructed of a foam layer bonded to a synthetic wool fleece. The synthetic wool side of the pad is placed against the skin of the wearer to provide a surface which moves with the skin. This layer also permits some air circulation to assist in carrying away perspiration. The foam layer functions as a shock absorbing cushion between the backpack and the wearer. As is readily apparent, the structure of this pad is similar to some of the saddle pad structures discussed above.
A different multiple layer pad for a very different purpose is disclosed in the patent to Bailly U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,099. The pad of this patent is a three layer laminate for use in shoes. The bottom layer, located farthest away from the skin of the user, comprises a sheet of closed cell foam thermal-plastic. Then a middle layer of odor absorbing material is placed between the bottom layer and a top layer. This top layer is made of non-woven, hyrophobic fiber which is intended to wick perspiration away from the foot of the user. This moisture then is passed through the odor absorbing layer into the lowermost foam layer. In addition to providing a water storage function, the foam layer also provides a cushioning or shock absorbing function. Once the foam layer is saturated, however, there is nothing to prevent moisture from passing back up through the foam layer to the foot of the wearer. Since this pad is intended to be worn inside a shoe, the moisture absorbing capacity of the pad is significantly limited due to the necessity of making the entire laminate relatively thin, otherwise the user would not be able to use the pad at all or considerable discomfort could be encountered if more than a minimal amount of space in the shoe were to be taken up by the pad.
A pad which is similar to the one disclosed in Berry, but which is used for bed covering, is disclosed in the patent to Hughes U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,785. A non-woven fabric layer is bonded to a foam layer. The manner in which the different layers function is essentially the same as the pad of Berry.
Bed pads in nursing homes and for long term hospital patients also are in relatively widespread use in which a water impervious lower layer or sheet is placed in contact with the mattress. Over this sheet a moisture absorbing layer, frequently comprised of fibrous material, is placed. On the top of the moisture absorbing layer a foam pad then is provided. Moisture from the patient passes through the foam pad into the moisture absorbing layer where it is held. The moisture impervious layer located on top of the mattress prevents moisture from damaging the mattress. No wicking action is necessary here since moisture simply flows downwardly from the patient through the foam layer to the lowest point in the pad, which is immediately on top of the water impervious sheet covering the mattress. In most pads of this general type, there is nothing to prevent moisture from passing back up to skin of the patient, especially after saturation of the moisture holding layer occurs.
To overcome some of the disadvantages of the bed pads mentioned above, a construction to minimize the reverse passage of water is disclosed in the patent to Gallagher U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,046. This patent sandwiches a water impervious sheet between the moisture absorbing layer and an upper closed cell foam pad. This sandwiched sheet has holes or apertures through it at spaced intervals to permit fluid flowing through the foam pad to pass through the holes into the moisture absorbing layer. The intent of this patent is to minimize unpleasant odors which otherwise would emanate from the moisture absorbing layer. The perforated sheet does not constitute a one-way membrane, but it does function to restrict somewhat the flow of water or other fluids from the moisture layer back up into the upper foam layer.
It is desirable to provide a pad which may be used either as a saddle pad, a bed pad, a wheelchair pad, or the like which protects the skin of the horse or human user from irritation, which removes perspiration effectively, which cools the hide of the horse or skin of the patient, and which cushions the hide or skin during use, while at the same time overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art mentioned above.